1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fruit squeezer, more particularly to an electrical fruit squeezer.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a conventional fruit squeezer 1. The fruit squeezer 1 includes an L-shaped supporting stand 11, a squeezing member 12, a hollow base 13, a container 14, a strainer 15, a reamer 16, and a driving unit 132.
The supporting stand 11 has a horizontal seat 111 and a post 112 which rises uprightly from one end of the horizontal seat 111 and which has a top end. A pivotal seat 113 projects upwardly from a top end face of the top end of the post 112, and has top and bottom ends, top and bottom flanges 114, 117 projecting outwardly and respectively from the top and bottom ends of the pivotal seat 113, and opposite recesses 115 formed between the top and bottom flanges 114, 117. An interfering member 116 is disposed in the horizontal seat 111.
The squeezing member 12 has a pivotal end 121 mounted pivotally on the pivotal seat 113, a pressing end 122 opposite to the pivotal end 121, and a squeezing portion 123 disposed between the pivotal end 121 and the pressing end 122. The pivotal end 121 of the squeezing member 12 has two opposite pivotal protrusions 124 which are received respectively in the recesses 115 of the pivotal seat 113 so that the squeezing member 12 is rotatable about the pivotal seat 113.
The hollow base 13 has a bottom wall 136, a half shell body 131 disposed above and connected to the bottom wall 136, a motor 132 mounted therein and having a driving shaft 133 projecting upwardly therefrom through the half shell body 131, two opposite horizontally extending tongues 135 projecting laterally and oppositely from two opposite sides of the shell body 131, and an annular recess 134 formed between the half shell body 131 and the bottom wall 136. The interfering member 116 is received in the annular recess 134 when the hollow base 13 is seated on the horizontal seat 111 of the supporting stand 11.
The container 14 has a bottom end 141, a top open end 148, a peripheral confining wall 142 projecting upwardly from the bottom end 141 to the top open end 148, a spout 144 projecting outwardly from the peripheral confining wall 142, and a handle 143 connected to one side of the peripheral confining wall 142 adjacent to the top open end 148 of the container 14. The container 14 further has a gradually decreasing cross-section tubular wall 145 that extends upwardly and inwardly from the bottom end 141 of the container 14. The tubular wall 145 has a top opening 146 adjacent to the top open end 148 of the container 14. The driving shaft 133 extends into and passes through the top opening 146 of the tubular wall 145 from the motor 132. Two opposite slots 147 are formed respectively in two opposite sides of the tubular wall 145. The opposite tongues 135 extend respectively into the slots 147 when the bottom end 141 of the container 14 is seated on the half shell body 131.
The strainer 15 is mounted on the top open end 148 of the container 14, and has a peripheral confining wall, a central opening 151, and a plurality of angularly disposed slits 152 formed in the peripheral confining wall.
The reamer 16 is mounted rotatably in the strainer 15, and has a bottom end, and a conical portion projecting upwardly from the bottom end of the reamer 16. A plurality of angularly disposed interfering tabs 161 extend through the central opening 151 of the strainer 15. A vertically extending tubular piece 162 is mounted in the reamer 16 for receiving and engaging the driving shaft 133.
When in use, a half piece of a fruit is mounted on the conical portion of the reamer 16. The squeezing member 12 is then moved downwardly toward the reamer 16 so that the squeezing portion 123 abuts tightly against the fruit. The motor 132 is actuated when the driving shaft 133 is pushed downwardly to turn the power on via a micro switch (not shown), thereby squeezing the fruit.
The aforementioned fruit squeezer has disadvantages in that the requirement of the supporting stand 11 for supporting the squeezing member 12 and the hollow base 13 results in an increase in manufacturing cost. Moreover, the L-shaped supporting stand 11 considerably increases the volume of the fruit squeezer, thereby further increasing the packaging, transport, storing, and molding costs.